After Dawn Series  Astrid
by FriendlyMushroom
Summary: Astrid is always taking care of him, and calling him a fine gentleman, when it is more than obvious than Makalov is nowhere near gentleman like, yet, she keeps disgracing herself, all because of him who doesn't even notice her. Visit Profile Please!


**There will be no summary, all you need to know to enjoy this story is:**

**YOU NEED TO READ MY PROFILE'S FIRE EMBLEM SECTION.**

**I don't own Fire Emblem.**

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><p><strong>Fire Emblem – After Dawn Series – Astrid.<strong>

**Chapter One: More Than Just a Failure.**

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><p>It was surely going to be a long day, Astrid could tell, it always was that way when she noticed she once again ended up spending her night by the side of a road, meters away from the nearest tavern, and losing her paid night at the town's inn in favor of helping Makalov out of his numerous troubles. Her face was covered in mud, same as her armor's boots and almost her entire lower section. The reason behind such dirty aspect being she had sacrificed her moral ideals in favor of keeping Makalov's ones alive, since she was his pillow, in a way she was his entire bed, since Makalov had fallen asleep drunk on top of her while she was carrying him back to the inn after another of his wild nights of gambling, drinking and drunk fighting at the taverns of the small town of Begnion they had visited in their way to the capital.<p>

No one actually knew why Astrid loved him so much as going as far as pulling herself to the nearest tree in order to rest her back, and help Makalov toward a more comfortable position, so whenever he woke up he wouldn't feel his back killing him the morning of the next day, which as consequence would result in her own being a pain for two more mornings.

The first sunrays of a new morning at Begnion followed, and Astrid woke up by the force of the strong sunlight hitting her face, and yet, she never complained, her whole worries were centered in Makalov, 'The sun will surely wake him up' she thought, and with that thought in mind, she lowered her face, until the shadow of her head would block the sun from hitting his sleeping face, placing herself in yet another uncomfortable position in favor of him. Unfortunately, her long hair ended tickling his nose, and her effort went to waste when Makalov sneezed hard, moving abruptly from his confortable position, and unwillingly slamming his forehead hard against Astrid's one, forcing them both to rub their heads in pain and annoyance.

"For the love of gambling! Astrid, your head is as hard as a brick wall!" He complained, somehow furious after being waken up like that. "And I was having such a nice dream too, seriously Astrid, you got no respect for my poor self." Anyone would be annoyed; they would surely demand for respect from the careless soldier of Crimea, but not Astrid, in her mind, she understood she was at fault.

"I apologize, sir Makalov, it was selfish of me to interrupt your sleep." She apologized, but then noticed Makalov wasn't even paying her any attention and instead was trying to drink the last drops of his empty wine bottle just to find out they had dried. "Makalov… we are late…" Astrid tried to explain, but Makalov just pulled his arms and legs, trying to wake them up after his horrible night. "Sir Makalov… the Empress is waiting…" But instead of insisting, she just lowered her face and waited for Makalov to be ready.

"Now that was a nice stretching!" Makalov began, a funny smile drawn on his face, one had to at least admire that on him, despite his multiple problems, Makalov was always in good spirits in the morning, even when most of the time he wouldn't be by night time. "Hey, where are we? Where are our horses?" He began, and Astrid smiled and was about to give him an answer when Makalov began yelling hard. "Aaaaah! I remember! A letter from Begnion! The Empress promising us a lot of money! The solution to all my debt problems and we are already late! Why didn't you say so sooner?" He yelled at her, and Astrid just backed off a little scared, but still, vowed to Makalov.

"I'm very sorry, I must have forgotten." She lied, after all, to her eyes, Makalov was perfect in every way, and she was always in the wrong, for her, Makalov was the finest gentlemen ever heard of. "If we hurry, we may make it in time for the meeting." She began, but then noticed Makalov running away. "Sir Makalov!" She called out, but Makalov was in such a rush he didn't have the time to listen to her. "You are going the wrong way!" She continued yelling and following him all around Begnion's northern territories, which looked more like belonging to Crimea in terms of architecture, than Begnion. "Sir Makalov!"

"I got no time for your gossips Astrid my dear." He mentioned, and Astrid couldn't help it but shut up and follow Makalov all around the town. "There is little time to waste! After, we will enjoy another night of gambling and drinking, but today we work, yes, we work, so the Empress will be impressed and gives a job to us as generals! After, we will take things less seriously."

"Sir Makalov, you shouldn't say such things, you who always do your best in everything you do, should be an example of greatness." She added while gasping for air, but slowly catching up to Makalov, who was slow while running. "…And also…" Astrid began once again, but gasped for air for a while longer before finally being able to finish what she was saying. "Shouldn't we… the inn… Marcia!" She tried to communicate, and even when her message had shattered because of the effort, it should have arrived, but Makalov was too airhead as to fill the spaces.

"Say that again?" He began, but soon saw a Pegasus landing in front of him, and Marcia climbing it down while staring at Makalov with eyes full of rage and hatred. "Marcia!" Makalov yelled out in fear, and stopped his march before arriving to his sister's side. "A beautiful morning, isn't it lil sis?" He began, but was then accidentally tackled down by Astrid, who was unable to stop before crashing with Makalov. "Ouch!"

"Sorry!" Astrid freaked out, and quickly tried to help Makalov up, then going as far as cleaning his armor, so it remained as shiny and well taken care off as usual. "I am at fault lady Marcia, please don't get mad at sir Makalov, he is a fine gentleman, he only drank that much because those men where feeling lonely without him." She lied, and Marcia just pushed Makalov to the ground but then forgot about him in order to place her whole attention toward Astrid. "Sir Makalov!"

"Forget about him!" Marcia yelled out, but then breathed heavily before staring at Astrid. "Listen, I know how it is to have feelings for someone who doesn't give a damn about those feelings you have and always keeps talking about himself and exposing his huge ego everywhere he goes as if he were a bull in a cow's corral or an eagle showing off to the chickens he can fly when they can't." Toward Marcia´s words, Astrid just delivered an odd stare, not actually understanding her point, Marcia still continued. "But trying to help your feelings reach that certain person, is way different than trying to fool yourself into believing he does understand them." And Astrid just faced away, although Marcia pulled her face until she ended staring back at her. "Just what do you see on him?"

"Sir Makalov is the greatest gentleman there is." She mentioned, and Marcia moved her head several times not even believing it. "Lady Marcia… I'm sorry but… Begnion…" She began, and Marcia pointed toward the opposite direction. "I was in the wrong all along, forgive me, sir Makalov, I have failed you miserably as I always do, I don't deserve to walk the same road you take." But Makalov wasn't even listening to her, instead, he just stood up and began running toward the opposite direction and in search of their horses. "Wait for me please!" She begged, but Marcia pulled her shoulder, forcing her to place her attention toward her and not her useless brother.

"You knew you were running toward the opposite side." Marcia scolded, Astrid just lowered her face. "And look at you! Astrid, you are all a mess! You polished your armor just yesterday, and now you look just as if you had used your body as a carpet for Makalov to remain as tidy and clean as possible." And Astrid nodded, which annoyed Marcia even more. "Honestly?" She asked, Astrid nodded once again. "What am I to do with you? The only reason I tagged along was to make sure you didn't end up spoiling my damn brother, but you always do."

"I'm just… making sure sir Makalov's reputation isn't damaged…" She confessed, and Marcia just breathed out of annoyance and climbed her horse, then asking the mud covered girl to climb it as well, which she did after noticing Marcia wasn't going to accept a no as an answer. "I need to return to sir Makalov's side."

"He doesn't even give a damn about what happens to you." Marcia added while she helped Astrid up her Pegasus. "And yet, here I am, helping you pursue a relationship you don't deserve, but then again, who am I to judge when I can't even get _Crimean_ Royal Knight_Fifth Platoon_Captain Kieran to notice me?" She added while making fun of Kieran as she always did, which Astrid considered a horrible way of talking.

But Astrid was never to be blamed, since she was a noble daughter from Begnion's royal house of Damiel, her parents where powerful and wealthy members of very high society, same as her whole family, and so, she was taught by Begnion's duchesses and ladies about how to behave and how to address men in general, believing men where always in the right, and women were always to seek for their ideal man or if they couldn't force one into becoming one. These ways of teaching and learning were already obsolete, not to mention forbidden by Sanaki, who wanted equality between women and men just as much as she wanted it between beorc and laguz.

When Astrid joined the army, she did because she admired Apostle Sanaki, and wanted to follow her ideals, but found out she just couldn't forget her teachings, not easily at least, she could remember how Gatrie always ended protecting her since she just feared harming an enemy soldier because of her teachings, and it wasn't until someone like Ike, or in some occasions even Shinon, yelled to her to fight or stand back, when she was actually able to be of any help. No one ever denied her skill with the bow, never better than Shinon's or Rolf's ones, but still outstanding.

Marcia ordered her Pegasus to land almost by the same time Makalov reached his horse, still tied just outside of the inn they were supposed to spend the night at. Astrid quickly climbed the animal down, and went to untie her own, being forever glad of knowing she had made it in time to follow Makalov toward Begnion's capital, where Empress Sanaki was waiting for their arrival.

"My fine lady Marcia, will you be so kind as to join us?" She questioned, but Marcia kindly moved her head in negation, and Astrid just stared at her while untying her white mare from the post she had let her tied at the night before.

"As I told you, the only reason I came with you guys is because I wanted to make sure you didn't end up spoiling my brother." She began, but this time she wasn't being rude in the less, the whole contrary, she was smiling. "I was never interested in the Apostle's proposition." She began; she even called Sanaki an Apostle since she was one of the few who still believed in Sanaki having a holy heritage. "Just as you don't want to give up on my damn brother… I can't give up on that useless meathead who always keeps cutting himself with his ax." And with no more words left to speak to Astrid, Marcia asked her Pegasus to fly away and toward Crimea.

"Thank you for understanding me, lady Marcia, and good bye." Astrid mentioned, and then turned around to see Makalov, who was already riding away and at high speed. "Sir Makalov, please wait!" She begged once again, climbed her mare, and then rode in her endless pursuit after Makalov.

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><p>Begnion is the biggest of the countries, and for such reasons, Astrid and Makalov made it late to Begnion's capital, so late the sun was already hiding, even when they set out early in the morning. Their stomachs were growling, they had had nothing to eat but dry bread and a few berries, and their horses were both exhausted. But at least both could find comfort on the fact of their meeting with the Empress of Begnion being scheduled to take place later that same night, which gave them both some time to rest, have something nice to eat, and get their armors cleaned, at least in Astrid's place, since Makalov's one was shining bright after being published by Astrid.<p>

"We are finally here! We should get paid for raiding from Crimea to Begnion! My back is aching!" Makalov complained, and once he made it down of his horse, and finishing tying it to the post just outside of an inn, he felt his shoulders relaxing as Astrid began offering Makalov a nice massage. "Ow!" He began, feeling the confortable touch of Astrid lulling his tense muscles to ward comfort. "That's the place where it hurts the most, you are pretty good at this, Astrid my dear, you could even become a professional."

"Let's go inside and find you a chair, sir Makalov, then you can take your armor off and I will be able to give you a better massage." And Makalov nodded several times, walking inside of the inn while Astrid kept massaging his shoulders, he then sat at a table, took his chest and back protections off, and allowed Astrid to massage him. "Is that better, sir Makalov?" She asked with a soft smile on her face.

"Better you say? I feel like I'm in heaven!" To the eyes of the many inside of the inn, Makalov was probably a rich lord since he even had a knight giving him a massage. And so, the waitress immediately went to his side, and asked to him what would he have for a drink. "I would drink anything you served to me." He mentioned, a flirtarous smile on his face, the waitress was, after all, blonde and beautiful, she surely was used to those comments. "Is your name Angel? Because you certainly look like one." And Astrid, for once, snapped in annoyance, she pressed Makalov's shoulder hard, forcing him to feel a great pain. "Ow! Astrid, you are hurting me! Be careful with those nails of yours!" He complained, and once Astrid noticed what she was doing, she released Makalov, and stared at him with concern.

"My sir Makalov! I'm truly sorry!" She began, her eyes being drown by the tears, and her body shaking in expectation of Makalov once again yelling at her with rage, but Makalov never did, he just rubbed his hurt shoulders, now feeling less sore than when climbing down his horse, but still hurting him because of Astrid pushing her nails inside his flesh. "I apologize."

"It's nothing my dear, if I can survive King Ashnard, then I can resist your nails." He added out loud, and many placed his attention toward him. "I was there, four years ago during the Mad King's War." He continued, and Astrid let out a deep breath and then sat in front of him, she loved him so much, but also knew his story telling were surely going to place her in a lot of problems, since Makalov wasn't between the group of people Ike selected for the assault to Ashnard's castle, but fought alongside Tibarn and the laguz outside the walls, just as she did since she wasn't selected either. "Ashnard is a real demon I tell you, the true god of chaos, some say he murdered his whole family to get the throne." At least that was partially true. "Some say he ate their hearts to become even stronger." But as usual, his lies followed, Astrid could almost swear he actually believed Ashnard was a cannibal because of the many times he had mentioned him eating some part of his familiars. "He was like nine feet tall, long beard and his red eyes surrounded by the blood of the many he had killed before I, Makalov the great, stepped between my commander, sir Ike, hero and terror of Begnion, and Ashnard himself, who was a real berserker like savage as he mounted his… his…" And then, Astrid noticed the situation was running out of control, since many were listening to his story and about to find out it was all a fake, she even opened her mouth trying to help him, but someone beat her in the effort.

"Can't you remember it anymore? I knew Ashnard had hit you hard enough!" From a table by a corner were Haar and Jill, they were enjoying a drink, and were awfully happy for a reason unknown to Astrid and Makalov, and yet, they didn't care that much since Haar had spoken out in defense of the clumsy knight of Crimea. "I was there too, Makalov you old idiot, you swung your sword against Ashnard, you were so impatient and wanted to take the glory for yourself that Ashnard beat you after 30 minutes of sword fighting." He lied, and Makalov was surprised for that last. "But then again, maybe it was your horse's fault you had fallen, after all, he couldn't even dream to outmatch King Ashnard's laguz like wyvern, who by the way, was prince Rajaion, drugged to be even dumper than a wyvern."

"But there is no denying it! I wounded Ashnard mortally!" Makalov continued with the improvised lie. "If I hadn't wounded the king with my sword, commander Ike would have never being able to defeat Ashnard as he did, he owes me his glory!" And Haar laughed as he had never had, even Jill joined him in his laughing, both were really having a wonderful time, and Astrid then noticed they had been holding hands the whole time.

"You mean that small cut you did to him a little below his eye?" Haar added, following the lie but not allowing Makalov to rise in the lines of heroism. "I don't think Ashnard even noticed, such a small cut wouldn't even break his concentration." And Haar released Jill from his hands just for him to reach his bottle of beer and drink it empty in a single try, Astrid then understood the reason behind Haar's odd behavior, he was getting drunk, and Jill wasn't stopping him, but instead enjoying the moment. "Ike fought better than any men I have ever seen fight, the battle was so intense, I'm sure the clash of their swords could be hear all the way to Daein and Gallia… he was furious, but also determined, his swordsmanship better than even Mia's or Zihark's… even Largo would have to admit his skill was world-class." His words were now as serious as ever, since different than Makalov and Astrid, Haar and Jill did make it to the team Ike fought with against Ashnard. "Without Ike to lead us… I wouldn't be here, having a beer with my soon to be wife… enjoying some moments before the wedding takes place… instead, I would be enjoying the eternal sleep, since I tried to fight Ashnard before Ike… or Makalov…" He added noticing he got carried away from the lie. "And ended with that damn dragon about to crush my skull bellow his foot…" And he then tried to drink more of his beer but found none, so he moved his hand toward the table next to his, grabbed the beer away from the hand of a random guy and drank his beer empty. "Long life sir Ike! Hero of Tellius!"

"Long life sir Ike!" Everyone yelled, and the party began, they all laughed, and remembered the times of the Mad King's War, even the man Haar stole the beer from wasn't mad in the less, but laughing at the drunk wyvern rider as he stood up clumsily, and ended needing Jill's help for walking toward Makalov's and Astrid's table.

Astrid was more than happy to move aside from her chair and sit at one next to Makalov's so Jill could take her chair, Haar sat next to her, and by Makalov's left, beers then arrived to their table, but Haar pushed them away, one more beer and he would end up doing something stupid.

"Haar, what a surprise is to see you and not sleeping!" Makalov added, but then noticed Haar was really close from falling asleep, even when he had a very important meeting with the Empress of Begnion is just a couple of hours, just as Makalov and Astrid had. "Don't tell me you two were also invited to meet the Empress?" He wondered.

"Duke Tanas was the one inviting us in Sanaki's place." Jill informed, and then rubbed Haar's back trying to help him recover from his almost drunk state. "We have been working for the Duke for a long while already, we are actually staying at his villa by Serene's forest until the meeting with the Empress takes place." And Astrid then noticed Jill was wearing a wedding ring, she had heard Haar mention it, but initially thought it was because of the alcohol, she just now realized it was true.

"Jill, isn't that…?" She began, not being entirely sure if she was supposed to be interrupting the moment, but Jill was more than happy to be interrupted, and she giggled as she had never done when being noticed.

"Oh, does it stand out that much?" She wondered while blushing madly and showing off her ring to Astrid. The girl was rich, and had seen many rings even more expensive than the one Jill was wearing, and yet, she was impressed and awfully happy for Jill, since she had managed to get that which Astrid whished more than anything, a marriage proposition.

"Woah! You must have collected a lot of debts!" Makalov added while trying to touch the ring, but found Haar's ax in the way, which of course scared the hell out of Makalov, who backed off and hugged Astrid while seeking for protection. "What's with you? Please no!" He yelled, and Haar swung his ax violently.

"Stay away from my bride!" He yelled out, and Jill just hugged him from the back, not allowing Haar to cut Makalov off. "You miserable slime! You want to take away that which is precious to me! If Shiharam couldn't deny me my right to claim her daughter, neither can you!" And the ax swinging continued, to the point in which Haar ended with his ax stuck against a table next to his, which annoyed the owners of the inn like tavern and the ones sitting at the now broken table, but despite all odds, Haar grabbed the agresive ones approaching to him by the necks, swung them around and knocked the owners of the tavern out cold, even when Jill was still hugging Haar from behind. "Anyone else wants to lie a hand on my girl?" He defied while moving around clumsily. "Come and get me! If I can survive Ashnard, and Ashunera, then nothing can beat me, I faced a god already when you were all turned into stones!"

"That's it! Sir Haar, I'm never allowing you to drink anymore!" Jill yelled hard, and then pulled Haar into a tight grab, which hurt her fiancé, but not enough to stop him from kicking the face of a drunk farmer, and punching another two in the face, Haar was as unstoppable as a wild wyvern. "Astrid, please tell the Empress we will be late for the meeting, since after this fight is over, waking up Haar from his drunken dreams will be horribly hard, not to mention impossible!" And Jill then found herself joining the fight when more men than a drunken Haar could handle tried to stop the crazy wyvern rider.

"Sir Makalov, the back door." Astrid added while pointing at the mentioned location, to which Makalov smiled with complicity. "Number one rule when entering a tavern." She mentioned while quoting Makalov's usual teachings, which he taught Astrid time after time when they had to run away from any problem Makalov had started.

"Always find the backdoor before troubles arise!" And the two then moved carefully below the tables and in search of the back door while more and more men were thrown away by Haar before he fell asleep and left Jill fighting on her own and protecting her sleeping fiancé. "Just look at that, I have always admired him, I'm sure he is just pretending being asleep for everyone to let their guards down, that's truly a great war tactic."

"If you say so, sir Makalov." Astrid added, although she wasn't entirely convinced this time, she just began trembling with fear of the thought of Makalov trying to fool real enemies while in the middle of a real battle, and she, as usual, would have to step in front of him, with her sword in hand, and save his life as was usual.

The sounds of the intense fighting could be heard even at the outsides of the inn; some farmers where even launched away through the windows moments before a group of soldiers walked inside of the inn and began forcing everyone under control. Astrid wondered if Haar and Jill were captured as well, but somehow she knew they didn't.

"Well, I can't say everything went according to plan, but then again, we are still standing." Makalov added, and Astrid just delivered to him one of her worry-full stares, no matter how much she wanted to believe Makalov was a gentleman, she just couldn't understand how unlucky he could get as to accidentally force Haar into believing he was stealing Jill away from him. "It's a pity we couldn't be delighted with some of Begnion's delicious dishes, but then again, why paying for food when it is obvious the Empress of Begnion will be the one feeding us tonight, let's go then, Astrid my dear, food is waiting for us, I mean, the Empress."

"Right you are, sir Makalov!" She added cheerfully and then untied her mare, Makalov did the same, and after, they both climbed their horses and began raiding with no rush at all toward the Mainal Cathedral. For a while there was silence between the two knights, but then Astrid remembered the ring resting on top of Jill's hand and couldn't help but feel some pain in her chest, after all, she was always taking care of Makalov, and he didn't ever show any kind of respect or care toward her. "May I interrupt you for a moment, sir Makalov." She wondered, and then found Makalov smiling at her. "What are your thoughts about Jill and Haar?" She began. "They looked so happy together." And afterwards, she stared at Makalov, who just stretched his arms with laziness.

"A pity indeed." He mentioned while staring at the sky with that buffoon's smile of his. "Such beautiful young lady, to know she is promised to sir Haar, no matter how much I admire him, that just isn't right, he selfishly left the world without a beauty to spare." For Astrid, his words made no sense, he should be happy, but he wasn't, but he wasn't sad either, it was just as if he never minded about Jill being engaged to Haar. "Some are born lucky I suppose."

"Sir Makalov… have you ever thought about…" Astrid began, her lips complained as if they didn't want to allow those words to escape her lungs, and yet, she made an effort, and released them in hopes of hearing Makalov asking her the same question. "…getting engaged…?" She finally said it.

"Who, me?" He added horrified. "How could you even suggest it, Astrid my dear?" He was upset, and Astrid just couldn't understand him. "If I were to get married to just one girl, I would be denying myself toward many others, doing it so would be selfish! The world needs my singleness!" He added proudly, but just as his words arrived to Astrid's ears, she could feel her heart shattering, and all her thoughts about Makalov being a gentlemen slowly began to vanish.

"But sir Makalov!" She yelled, she almost sounded like begging. "Isn't it even worst not to express your feelings entirely for just a special someone? Don't you want to get married? Have child? Retire from the army and just have a peaceful and joyful life?" Makalov stared at Astrid oddly, not because he found any sense in her words at all, since what Astrid wanted, was the entire opposite of Makalov's way of life. The real reason behind Makalov staring at Astrid the way he did, was because he had never heard Astrid say such a long sentence, much less yell it out loud as she did.

"Astrid… is there someone you love…?" He wondered, and Astrid lowered her face while blushing madly, she was always the timid kind, but being asked something like that so out of a sudden, just left her mute. "You do!" He added surprised, and Astrid placed her hand by her chest as if knowing Makalov had finally noticed, but much to her dislike, he didn't. "You like Haar?" He asked, Astrid flinched.

"Sir Makalov!" she yelled out of embarrassment. "It really isn't what you are thinking." She tried to explain, but Makalov just kept analyzing her face features, trying to find out if she were lying. "Sir Haar is nowhere near sir Makalov's standards, I could never like someone like him!"

"Really?" He wondered, and gave the situation some thoughts. "Then who may you like? I don't think Kieran was your type, you usually just avoided him, but then again, everyone does." And Astrid moved her head in negation; she didn't want to believe how Makalov could be this oblivious. "Maybe it was commander Ike, after all, every girl in the army fell in love with him, Aimee said so." Astrid bit her lips in annoyance, she was losing her coolness. "Could it be Oscar? No, of course not, he likes Tanith… maybe Geoffrey? Very unlikely, must of the time you were disagreeing with him… oh, I get it now!" And Astrid linked her hands together and pressed them against her chest in hopes of him finally realizing. "You like Gatrie! Why didn't I see that coming? He was your bodyguard, he was always by your side, it is impossible not to fall in love with someone who is always by your side!" And Astrid just lowered her face. "Gatrie from the Greil Mercenaries, you must miss him, we haven't seen him that often, I heard the Greil Mercenaries are now known as Boyd's Mercenaries, what a strange name, isn't it…?" He asked, but then noticed Astrid was more silent than ever. "Astrid?" He wondered, and then heard Astrid taking a deep breathe. "What is it, Astrid my dear?"

She faced him, her eyes sharp, determined and in rage, her teeth biting her lips hard, and her chest filling itself with air before finally releasing everything she had been saving for so long in a yell she was sure not even Makalov could misheard. "It's you!" And Makalov opened his eyes widely as the information filled his brain, the message did arrive, but would need some time to be understood, time Astrid didn't feel like waiting for, and so, she asked her mare to run the rest of the way toward the Mainal Cathedral, leaving behind a Makalov staring at nowhere, not even noticing Astrid was no longer there.

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><p>"What is… the meaning of this…?" The voice belonged to Empress Sanaki, who had just arrived to her own meeting room accompanied by her new loyal heron advisor Reyson, and what she found once arriving to the meeting room was an Astrid, soaked in her own tears, and showing off a mess of an armor with a mixture of mud, the smell of alcohol from the tavern, and Sigrun hugging her while trying to calm her down. "Was she attacked?"<p>

"I got no idea, Empress." Sigrun added. "Once she arrived she just burst into tears for no apparent reason, she doesn't look hurt, but… I really can't tell…" And Sigrun just rubbed Astrid's hair while trying to calm her down. Sanaki then stared at Reyson, asking for him in silence for the reasons behind Astrid's behavior.

"A broken heart." He added coldly, not being used to be ordered around by Sanaki, the two had developed some kind of friendship like relationship, but had their minor arguments because of the heron's ability to read other's feelings. "I don't see how it is good to read other's feelings when it is forbidden to read your, my Empress."

"Never mind that, Sigrun, Reyson, out of the room, I have an important meeting with lady Damiel and her sobbing won't prevent it from taking place." Damiel is Astrid's duchess name, one she had ignored for a while after quitting her wealthy title, one title Sanaki, apparently, never erased from the royal books. "Show some spine! You are a knight, and a duchess!" But Astrid's reply was to hug the empress hard. "Quit it! These clothes are really expensive!" The Empress mentioned, but soon fell victim to her true nature, and hugged Astrid back. "Everything is going to be fine… I feel so weird saying that, I'm way younger than you are… why don't you tell me what happened?"

"Sir Makalov!" And Sanaki bit her lips in annoyance, but still continued rubbing Astrid's head, trying to calm her down. "I love him! I love him so much! But he doesn't even notices! He said I liked Gatrie!" And her crying then intensified, and her tears began soaking wet Sanaki's holy robes.

After a while of allowing Astrid to cry on her shoulders, Sanaki was finally able to calm he down, and the now tired Astrid sat down in front of the Empress of Begnion, who began squeezing her robes dry, but noticing Astrid's tears just wouldn't let go of her holy robes. "Never mind these damn clothes, I'm not even an Apostle anymore, wearing them is just wrong." She spoke to herself, but then returned to be her usual self. "Duchess Damiel." She began, I will ignore what took place just recently… as well as the deplorable state of your armor… and give more importance to the subject at hand."

"I'm all ears, Empress Sanaki." She vowed, finally understanding she had insulted the Empress with her tears, even though Sanaki cared little, but as an Empress, she needed to remain neutral toward anyone in order to remain holy, or so where the rules, since Sanaki felt nowhere near holy.

"I will be straight forward then." The Empress added, while taking out form her tunic a sript with the shield of the Damiel family drawn on it. "Begnion lost most of her military power to last war, Commander Ike, and his band of mercenaries murdered my generals, and so, I'm in need of new replacements." And Astrid was honored, but didn't know what to say. "I'm delivering your lands back to you, as well as your royal papers, which I never destroyed despite your insistence, you are still Duchess Damiel, you always were, and you always will." She continued explaining, and all Astrid did was agree with her. "The northern regions of Begnion, are in need of a new general, and I am interested in hiring your services, prince Elincia also agreed with releasing you from your duties to Crimea, if you were to accept my terms." And for a moment, there was silence, it was now the moment for Astrid to agree or disagree, there was a lot of thinking that needed to be done, and yet, Sanaki wasn't that patience. "Well?" She wondered. "Will you accept my terms and leave Crimea in favor of Begnion?" And Astrid was finally ready to give her an answer.

"I will accept your terms… if you will accept mine…" Sanaki nodded, she actually had the idea of what she was going to ask. "Allow sir Makalov to be knighted for Begnion." And Sanaki lowered her head, she imagined it correctly. "Sir Makalov is still, the finest gentlemen I have ever met, despite all his failures, he is kind, cheerful, and strong willed, he is not perfect… he definitively isn't… but I know he got what it takes to be a general for Gegnion."

"He will be knighted." And Astrid smiled hard. "Under your commands." Sanaki finished. "I won't present to him a higher rank, he must earn it." And Astrid had to nod. "You may leave now, I got more important meetings to attend to, my maids will deliver your new armor to you, present you with new clothes and keep your horse at our stables, you start working at first hour, tomorrow morning, don't be late at the camps for the assignation of your unit." Astrid nodded and walked away after a reverence, Sanaki just remained at her meeting room.

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><p>While walking by the corridors of the Manial Cathedral, Astrid couldn't help it but hate herself for saying all those things about Makalov. She had done a lot for him, and never got any respect positive reaction from his part, and now he was going to be knighted, all thanks to her words.<p>

"It's fruitless… my efforts are in vain…" She stopped her walking and then allowed the tears to fall from her eyes, only to find them hitting a couple of white flowers, she stared at them for a few seconds, and then faced the man presenting them to her. "Sir Makalov?" She wondered, she couldn't believe it, just know she was giving up on him, and right now he was there, with that smile of his, and with those flowers in hand.

"Astrid my dear." He smiled once again, and Astrid couldn't control her blush from swallowing her face. "I'm not sure of what I said to make you mad." He began, and Astrid gave him her whole attention. "I didn't even noticed the moment you left, for some reason I was having some odd thoughts about me hearing you yell something weird to me, which right now has no important, what is important is, I made a lady cry, and even if I don't know what I did, that was unforgivable, and yet." He kneeled while asking for her hand, and once she delivered it to him, he placed the flowers at her hand and then closed her fingers around them. "I beg you to forgive me, you are my best friend, Astrid, I hate to see you cry."

"…Friend…?" Astrid asked, Makalov just nodded several times, he really thought her yelled confession had been noting but an odd dream of his. Astrid then stared at his face, and directly to his eyes, not really wanting to accept his friendship, even when her heart asked her to forgive him. Then something won her attention, his eyes were no longer uncaring and cold toward her as they always were, but were warm and gentle, the eyes of a true gentleman, and so Astrid knew, that even if Makalov was a failure as horrible as to not to realize she had confessed to him, she understood, her effort wasn't at all in vain. "Yes! I'm Makalov's best friend!" She yelled happily, this time it was different, this time, she had Makalov's attention, he know knew she existed, he would know notice her.

"Great! We are friends again! Oh happy day, night actually!" He mentioned, and Astrid just nodded several times. "You know what good friends do? They go to the taverns to drink and gamble, what say we look for a new tavern? Not as dusty and smelling as last one, but perhaps something more like you, calm and sweet, of course you are paying, since I have no money… I'm afraid I lost my wallet."

"I will pay for your drinks, Sir Makalov, that's what good friends always do!" She added with enthusiasm, after all, friendship was the first step toward love.

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><p><strong>Don't forget to visit my profile page if you want to follow the After Dawn Series from beginning to end.<strong>

**Remember the order of reading changes with each update, make sure you don't miss any chapter.**


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